Kidney disease, also known as renal disease, happens when the kidneys have become damaged or have a problem with their structure that prevents them from filtering blood the way they should. As a result, waste and extra fluid can build up in the body.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that occurs when the kidneys have become damaged over a longer period (for at least 3 months). In most cases, developing CKD is a slow process with very few symptoms at first. Many people with reduced kidney function are not even aware they have CKD. CKD can range from mild to severe and often gets worse over time, though treatment can slow it down. Some people develop kidney (renal) failure, which may require dialysis or kidney transplant to survive.
Having diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney disease can all increase the risk of CKD. It also increases the risk of other health problems like stroke and heart disease. It’s important to get tested for CKD regularly if you're at risk. Healthy lifestyle choices such as eating a healthy diet, being physically active, not smoking, and taking medications when needed can help treat and prevent CKD.
- From 2017 to 2020, Black/African American adults were 47% more likely to have chronic kidney disease than U.S. adults overall.
- In 2022, Black/African Americans were 95% more likely to die of kidney disease than the U.S. population overall.
- In 2022, Black/African American Medicare patients with diabetes were 2% less likely than Medicare patients with diabetes nationwide to receive an annual urinary microalbumin test, which checks for early kidney problems.
Additional Resources
MedlinePlus
Related Data
- Diabetes and Black/African Americans
- Heart Disease and Black/African Americans
- Hypertension and Black/African Americans
Further Reading
Occurrence
| Adults ages 18 and over with chronic kidney disease, age-adjusted percentage, 2017–2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Black* | Total Population | Ratio (Black* / Total) |
| 18.4 | 12.5 | 1.47 |
| Adults ages 18 and over with chronic kidney disease stages 1–4, crude percentage, 2021–2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Black* | Total Population | Ratio (Black* / Total) |
| 44.0 | 41.7 | 1.06 |
| Adults ages 18 and over with chronic kidney disease stages 3–4, crude percentage, 2021–2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Black* | Total Population | Ratio (Black* / Total) |
| 24.7 | 17.6 | 1.40 |
| Adjusted incidence of end-stage renal disease, cases per million persons, 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Black | Total Population | Ratio (Black / Total) |
| 954 | 381 | 2.50 |
| Note: Source uses bridged race and ethnicity categories. | ||
Mortality
| Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease) mortality, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black* | Total Population | Ratio (Black* / Total) | |
| Male | 32.3 | 16.7 | 1.93 |
| Female | 23.3 | 11.6 | 2.01 |
| Both Sexes | 26.9 | 13.8 | 1.95 |
Health Care Use
| Annual urinary microalbumin measurement among Medicare beneficiaries with diagnosed diabetes, percentage, 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Black | Total Population | Ratio (Black / Total) |
| 51.8 | 52.7 | 0.98 |
*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.
Date Last Reviewed: March 2026